Liquid spraying container



July 15, 1941. M. LA SSMANN LIQUID SPRAYING CONTAINER Filed ov. :50, 1939 MAX ZASSMANN INVENTOR HLLLU A O NEY Patented July 15, 1941 Application November 30, 1939, SerialNo. 306,775 In France June 10, 1939 6 Claims- (01. 293-38 The present invention relates to containers with means for spraying the contents thereof,-

the invention being particularly adapted for the spraying of paint, enamel, lacquer or other-such liquids.

In this invention, the spraying operation is preferably performed through the medium ofa bulb which forces air by an orifice through which the liquid rises to be atomized and thus forms a spray comprising finely divided particles'of" liquid borne on the air forced from-the bulb This 'atomizing function is quite'conventional and depends on its operation on the maintenance of atmospheric pressure withinthe container. In previous structures, particularly one patented by me in France on March 9, 1932, No.'732,874, at the start of the spraying operation it was necessary to invert the container inorder to reestablish normal pressure within the container. This latter action, being an unnatural one, is therefore undesirable.

It is, therefore, an object of this inventionto provide a structure of the indicated character which may be employed for atomizing and spraying liquids in a convenient and normal manner.

Because of the deleterious action of air upon the liquids-contemplated to be sprayed, the invention also seeks to provide improved means forsealing the container contents against the influx of air when the device is out of use, said means also obviatinginadvertent spilling of the contents of the container under all handling conditions.

The invention comprises a liquid container in the form of a can having an open top and fitted with a cover upon which is carried the spraying means. This cover also is provided with two tubes, one disposed within the liquid and the other either disposed within the liquid and provided with an opening above the liquid level or terminating above said level. The structure is provided with a'length of wire so formed as to have a portion disposed-within each of the mentioned tubes. The first of these tubes terminates, at its upper portion, at a point infront of the air nozzle of the spraying means, and the second of said tubes preferably terminates at a lower point, whereby upon removal of said wire from said tubes preparatory to spraying, said first tube remains sealed by the wire for a short time after the wire is free of the second tube. Thus air may seek ingress into the container through said second tube without the possibility of forcing liquid up and out of the top of the first tube.

When the wire is completely removed, the device is ready for use.

Because ofthe manner of constructing the containers and covers therefor, the air above the fliquidtherein is compressed when said covers are put into place. Hence, it is desirable to relieve this excess pressure before spraying. The above outlined arrangement also serves to give this relief of pressure while the liquid nozzle is in sealed-condition.

From the foregoing it maybe-seen that theimproved contemplated structure seeks to normalize the use and operation of liquid spraying containers, in that preliminary inversion of the container is-obviated;-that loss of liquid at the start-of the spraying operation is also obviated; that spraying-may-be-continuously effected without the development of low pressures withinthe container; and that thecontainer may be eifectivelysealed when out of use toobviate evaporation ofthe liquid therein.

With the foregoing and other contemplated features in mind, the invention may. best be realized from the illustrated embodiments thereof as shown in exemplary form in the accompanying drawing which forms the basis of the following detailed specification.

Inthe drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in verti- .cal section,- of a liquid spraying container constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan omitted: 7

Fig.3 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of a spraying container of modified form.

In that embodiment of' the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the structure comprises a container 5 provided with a cover 6 upon which iscarried a spray device generally designated 1. The container 5 is provided with liquid 8 in the form of paint, enamel, lacquer, etc, which preferably' does not fill said container to provide the air spaceS. The above isquite conventional, and it will be noted that the cover 6 when fitted to the container, will compress the air in the space 9 to exert a greater than atmospheric pressure upon the liquid 8.

The spray device I comprises essentially a iiting Illformed with a horizontally disposed air passage ll terminating in an air nozzle-l2 at one; end and provided with a preferably threaded opposite end l3 forconnection with an air bulb ML lhe latter is preferably provided with a view thereof with the air bulb valve indicated at I5 which closes when the bulb is compressed to force air through the nozzle 12 and which opens to admit air into the bulb when pressure on said bulb is released.

Immediately forward of the nozzle l2 and transverse to the passage II, the fitting H1 is formed with a bore it into which is fitted a tube il. This tube has its upper end I8 terminating in line with the nozzle i2 and its lower end is disposed within the liquid 8 and terminates short 01 the bottom of the container 5.

The fitting It may be secured to the cover 6 as by means of rivets I9 as shown in Fig. 2. One of these rivets may be replaced inthe present instance by the riveted end of a tube 20 which is thus carried by the cover 6 and 'extendsto just short of the bottom ofthe liquid container.

At a point above the level of the liquid .8. and in the air space 9, the tube 20 is preferably formed with an orifice 2| connecting the passage of said tube with said air space. k

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 follows the above described construction with the exception that the tube 20 is replaced with a shorter tube 2% which terminates above the liquid level. V v

It is obvious that manipulation of the bulb 4 will generate a spray at the nozzle l2, said spray comprising air from the bulb and finely divided particles of the liquid 8 drawn by said air through the top iii of the tube l7.

When the device is sold, it comes provided with a length of wire 22 formed in an inverted U shape with one leg 23 disposed within the tube H and the other leg 24 within the tube 20. As shown in Fig. 1 these legs may be of equal length and rest upon thebottom of the container, the horizontal portion 25 of said wire serving as a handle by means of which the wire may beinserted into or extracted from said tubes I! and 20.

The wire as above described, may be used in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3,:or, as illustrated, the leg 24 may be foreshortened to provide a shorter leg 24*.

It will be noted that the tube 24 terminates at its upper end below the upper end of the tube Thus, when the wire 22 is being removed preparatory to using the device, the leg 24 of said wire will leave the tube 20 while the leg 23 is still disposed within the upper part of the tube H. The previously mentioned high pressure of the air at 9 may thus be relieved through the orifice 2| so that liquid may not be forced out of the top end N5 of the tube I! by this high pressure. This is also true of the structure of Fig. 3 where the short leg 24 leaves the short tube 2|! long before the leg 23 is entirely removed from the tube l1. Now that atmospheric pressure in the air space 9 is maintained through the orifice 2| (Fig. l) or through the bottom of the short tube 26 (Fig. 3), an eificient spraying operation may be performed.

When it is again desired to seal the liquid contents of the container, the wire 22 is replaced into the tubes I1 and 20 (Fig. 1) or I! and 20 (Fig. 3) so that the liquid is effectively sealed against evaporation and further allows for agitation of said liquid for thorough mixing thereof by shaking said container. I

It is apparent, that the mere provision of an air admitting orifice in the cover 6 for the purpose of maintaining the proper pressure in the container, would not sufiice since this orifice would quickly become sealed by the hardening of a skin of said liquid thereover, Also,v agi-- tation of the liquid in the container would become difficult due to possible spillage through said orifice. The provision of the U-shaped wire member 22 employed in the above described 0 manner, obviates these and the previously mentioned faults, particularly as related to liquids such as paints, enamels, lacquers, etc.

Should there be some leakage of air through thetube ,20, the orifice 2| may become covered with a skin of paint, but inasmuch as the container may be vigorously shaken, this skin will be dissolved during this process and before the wire is extracted. These skin formations at the orifice 2| and within the tubes I1 and 20, effect a better seal against admission of air into the container, the skin formations within said tubes being disrupted upon removal of the wire.

The utility of the invention may be better realized when it is pointed out that upon depletion of the contents of the container, the cover 6 and the spraying device 1 carried there'- by may be placed upon another full container which may be acquired at relatively low cost.

While the invention is disclosed as employing abulb for the generating of air for the spraying function, it is apparent that other means may be used for supplying air.

From the foregoing it is clear that an efe ficierrt and quite simple device for spraying paints and the like has been disclosed. However, it is not intended that the scope of the invention as claimed be limitedby the specific details of this disclosure which may be modified in various ways by those skilled inthis art and Within the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described compris- 40, -ing a liquid container having a tightly fitted cover, means carried by said cover for spraying liquid from said container, said means including a tube forpassing liquid from said container and an air tube for communicating the space within the container and above the liquid therein with atmosphere, the liquid passing tube terminating at a point above the top end of the air tube, and a removable member having a leg portion disposed within each tube to sealthe same, the 50 leg portion disposed within the air tube having a lesser coextensive contact with said air tube than the coextensive contact between the liquid passing tube and the leg portion disposed therein whereby upon removal of said member the air tube is opened to atmosphere before the liquid.

passing tube is so opened.

2. A device of the character described comprising a liquid container having a tightly fitted cover, means carried by said cover for spraying liquid from said container, said means including a tube for passing liquid from said container and an air tube for communicating the space within the container and above the liquid therein with atmosphere, the liquid passing tube termihating at a point above the top end of the air tube, and a member having portions arranged to seal both of said tubes, said member comprising a U-shaped piece of wire having leg portions disposed within said tubes.

3. The combination with a liquid spraying container having a liquid passing tube and an air tube for communicating the interior of the container with atmosphere, of a removable member having a leg portion disposed within each tube 75 to sea1 the same, the leg portion disposed within the air tube having a lesser coextensive contact with said air tube than the coextensive contact between the liquid passing tube and the leg portion disposed therein whereby upon removal of said member the air tube is opened to atmosphere before the liquid passing tube is so opened.

4. A device of the character described comprising a liquid container having a tightly fitted cover, means carried by said cover for spraying liquid from said container, said means including a tube for passing liquid from said container and an air tube for communicating the space within the container and above the liquid therein with atmosphere, and a removable member having a leg portion disposed within each tube to seal the same, the leg portion disposed within the air tube having a lesser coextensive contact with said air tube than the coextensive contact between the liquid passing tube and the leg disposed therein whereby upon removal of said member the air tube is opened to atmosphere before the liquid passing tube is So opened.

5. In a device of the character described, a liquid container, a tube for passing liquid from said container, an air tube for communicating the space Within the container and above the liquid therein with atmosphere, the liquid passing tube terminating at a point above the air tube, and a removable member having a leg portion disposed within each tube to seal the same, the leg portion disposed within the air tube having a lesser coextensive contact with said air tube than the coextensive contact between the liquid passing tube and the leg portion disposed therein whereby upon removal of said member the air tube is opened to atmosphere before the liquid passing tube is so opened.

6. In a device of the character described, a liquid container, a tube for passing liquid from said container, an air tube for communicating the space within the container and above the liquid therein with atmosphere, and a removable member having a leg portion disposed within each tube to seal the same, the leg portion disposed within the air tube having a lesser coextensive contact with said air tube than the coextensive contact between the liquid passing tube and the leg portion disposed therein whereby upon removal of said member the air tube is opened to atmosphere before the liquid passing tube is so opened.

MAX LASSMANN. 

